"Tell me your story.

I'll listen."

How it began...

"I became fascinated with the healing power of nature when I became unwell with digestive issues many years ago. Doctors, x-rays, blood tests and ultrasounds could not offer any guidance or information in regards to why I was feeling so tired, overwhelmed and suffering with constant pain in my lower back and bloating. It was a chance drive past a naturopathic clinic that opened my world to what true healing is really about! Under the care of an amazing naturopath, I was properly educated on nutrition and was taught why I was experiencing these issues, how common they really were, and how to treat them. I felt so relieved that I knew my own body and was finally able to take responsibility for myself, rather than rely on others to tell me what they thought they knew about my own body. I soon realized I had become disconnected along the way and was completely out of tune with my body, and from then I set about making small lifestyle changes to get myself well again.

My next experience with naturopathic care came when I had learnt enough about the side effects of the oral contraceptive pill. This led me to the decision that I should stop taking it - some in part to my mother's history with breast cancer, and also mostly due to the realization I could be making my issues worse by masking them and not actually addressing them! As is common with many women ceasing the OCP I experienced digestive issues, fatigue, mood swings and chronic, cystic acne - acne which I had never before experienced in my life. I became so tired in the mornings I struggled to wake up, and would often catch myself drifting to sleep during the day. This led to me relying on caffeine daily to keep myself awake, which then led to unhealthy food choices when my energy levels slumped in the afternoon after the caffeine had left my system.

I tried face washes, over the counter creams, and steroids from my GP for the acne - nothing worked! My skin had started to become hyper irritable, I was wearing makeup everyday to cover the acne and this was in turn making it worse. I struggled with self-confidence and after a few months I came to senses and realised that something was not right on the inside. So I then chose to visit a naturopath close to my home. She immediately explained to me what was happening and went through in detail why I was experiencing these symptoms, and also explained to me the underlying patho-physiological reasons. Finally! Someone was helping me understand my own body, and wasn't just giving me a quick fix "pill" to fix it. I realised I couldn't keep trying to fix what was happening on the surface without addressing what was happening UNDERNEATH also. Under her treatment plan, and with effort from myself, I found my acne had cleared within 3-4 months, I had more energy in the mornings and I felt better than ever. I just knew without a doubt that this was something I needed to learn more about.

These experiences set the ground-work for me to commence studying Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine with AIHM. My journey in these studies was an eye-opener both physically and emotionally, and I realised I could not only help myself in health, but also my family, friends, pets, and other people. From my experiences I also developed a strong belief in people being able to have the best of both worlds - I believe modern medicine is invaluable and life-saving - I use it when needed; and I also believe traditional Eastern herbal medicine and naturopathy is invaluable too. I graduated from my double advanced diploma courses and received the AIHM Dux Award for Naturopathy as well as Dux Award for Western Herbal Medicine in 2015. I also was honoured to receive the AIHM Award for Overall Academic Excellence in 2015.

My philosophy is strongly embedded in the belief we don't need to choose one or the other - they can be combined beautifully and can complement each other to give the patient the best possible care and health.

I now place strong emphasis on figuring out the root causes of symptoms and dis-ease, being physical as well as emotional. Many physical symptoms in people can stem from past emotional trauma, life stresses, or negative thought patterns which impact a persons ability to be well. Is is through this belief that many of my clients are often referred to various other mind-based health professionals which will work in conjunction with their naturopathic treatment - these can include counselors, psychologists, social workers, NLP practitioners, ancestral healers or hypnotherapists - all depending on the person and what they feel most comfortable with. Other modalities are also often recommended, such as chiropractic care, massage, bowen therapy, acupuncture, and chinese medicine.

In bringing about my "back to roots" ideas, as I come from Finnish ancestry, my business name Luonto (pronounced lou-won-toe), means "nature" in the Finnish language. Often what can help a person most is nature - switching off their phones, eating whole fresh foods as close to their natural state as possible, and engaging in meaningful friendships or work that brings happiness to their lives. I also make home-made body products using natural base materials, herbal-infused oils, and essential oils. These include creams, oils, balms, salves, scrubs, sprays, and soaks and are available to purchase from my clinic which is currently based in Port Hedland, Western Australia".

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